1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of golfing bags such as are used for carrying a set of golf clubs, as well as portable stands for supporting such bags, and more particularly relates to a removable support assembly for collapsible golf bags and an improved portable stand for golf bags including collapsible golf bags.
2. State of the Prior Art
Golf bags have been in widespread use as standard equipment of the sport for many years. Golf bags typically have a tubular construction closed at the bottom and have a carrying strap of sling attached between an upper and a lower portion of the bag. The bag is opened at the top for receiving one or more golfing clubs. One type of golf bag is constructed of a substantially rigid material, for example, leather or a pliable material which is reinforced with a supporting wire structure so that the golf bag is self-supporting and can be stood up in an upright position without benefit of external support. This type of golf bag is generally a bulky item, about three feet in length and available in various diameters, such as 9 or 12 inches. An article of this size is costly to stock in inventory and to ship in commerce, due to the volume it occupies. In fact, the cost of transportation of golf bags represents a substantial fraction of the ultimate retail price of the article. In an effort to avoid this difficulty, collapsible golf bags were devised, and have become extremely popular among golfers. A typical collapsible golf bag includes an open upper cup which may be either circular or rectangular and which is made of a material which is sufficiently rigid to generally retain its shape. The bag also includes a bottom cup which is likewise either circular or rectangular to match the upper cup and is closed at one end to provide a bottom for the bag. The bottom cup is also made of a relatively rigid and durable material so that it will withstand repeated scraping and will support the weight of a set of golf clubs. The upper and lower cups are connected by a tube of pliable material such as a durable textile which is securely connected at its ends to the cuffs. This structure is not self-supporting and cannot stand upright unless supported by external means. Collapsible bags may be carried without difficulty by means of a sling or shoulder strap normally provided which is connected at its upper ends to the upper cuff and the lower end of the strap is attached to some intermediate portion of the bag. In fact, when the bag is carried, the bag depends from the upper cuff and self-support is not required.
However, when it is desired to put down the bag during play or otherwise, the bag cannot stand on its own and must be either laid down on its side or provided with external support. Various means are known and used for providing such auxiliary support for collapsible golf bags. Once such class of device is a lightweight portable bag stand provided with an upright tubular support to which are affixed a pair of bag retaining straps and retractible legs which support the upright member in a standing position, the bag retaining straps in turn holding the bag to the upright member. While this type of portable stand is useful with either collapsible or self-supporting golf bags, it is particularly useful with the collapsible type.
A somewhat different approach to the support of collapsible golf bags has been taken by other manufacturers which provide several, e.g. three relatively stiff lengths of wire which can be individually attached to the inside of a collapsible bag between upper and lower sockets provided for each wire at circumferentially spaced locations along the inside of the upper and lower cups. This approach suffers from the difficulty that each supporting wire must be separately inserted into its corresponding sockets. This can be a rather frustrating task since the sockets have small openings which are easily missed when attempting to insert the wires. The bottom sockets are difficult to see because they are in the dim interior of the golf bag and are not easily accessible from the top. Once the lower end of each wire is inserted into the bottom socket, the wire must be bent and its upper end inserted into the upper socket so that the bag is supported by the spring force of the arched spring wire. Again the opening of the upper sockets faces downward into the bag and is not easy to find while the supporting wire is being kept in a bent condition. No provision is made for adjusting the length of the wires for maintaining optimal tension between the two cuffs so as to evenly stretch the pliable intermediate portion of the bag to maintain an esthetically pleasing smooth, wrinkle free appearance.
The portable stands known to the art also suffer from a significant shortcoming in that no provision has been made in any device known to this applicant for accommodating the garment or clothing pocket normally provided on the exterior of golf bags, both of the collapsible and self-supporting types.